Into The Wild
by TheMixKage
Summary: As Zelda emerges from her century long battle with Ganon, she is left changed. Once just a girl, she now faces the task of uniting a shattered Hyrule as a woman. Traveling across Hyrule to secure alliances with the other races, she and Link both face daunting personal demons of loss after fading from existence for over a century.
1. April Showers

_March winds and April showers  
Make way for sweet May flowers,  
_ _And then comes June, a moon and you._

* * *

There was something beautiful about the rain. The light showers that had begun to fall in increasing frequency indicated that spring was coming. Although they made traveling a little more inconvenient, Zelda took pleasure in watching the gray clouds dart in and out of the sky above her. The soft _pitter-patter_ of raindrops, the sensation of moisture falling on her face. After a century inside Ganon's cocoon of dark magic in a non corporeal state, the princess approached even small things with childlike amazement. Link, on the other hand, seemed to feel uncomfortable whenever it rained. Zelda noted he took care to stuff his rucksack with extra oilskin in case his weapons and ever precious food supplies might be soaked through. Not that he would share his opinion over something as trivial as rain with Zelda verbally. "It's just wet," he would say with a shrug, Zelda imagined him saying. She amused herself by imagining Link attempting to shelter an entire rucksack of baked apples from the rain.

Now that she thought about it, Link always seemed to have at least one on hand whenever he was hungry. And that seemed to be rather often, now that he seemed to care less about staying "proper" after the Calamity. How did he store so many supplies without ever having to resupply? The past night, Link had prepared their evening meal while she had been resting, so she hadn't had a chance to see him cook. Yet somehow, he had managed to have an entire feast ready when she awoke; roast fowl of some sort that she did not recognize, juicy Hylian mushrooms, and steamed rice. Did he pull the entire meal from his pack? Perhaps his backpack was enchanted in some manner. Zelda resolved to ask him if he was ever in one of his talkative moods.

The pair were traveling towards Zora's Domain, though their progress was slow; Link often ensured the princess was well-rested before moving on. Although she complained that Link was coddling her and that she was more than capable enough to make the journey faster, Zelda secretly enjoyed the luxury the slow pace gave them. Though Divine Beast Ruta did indeed require inspection, there was no true sense of urgency that demanded their immediate presence. And traveling with Link once again brought back memories of a time before the Calamity. Memories of research, of nature, and of Link himself.

As the pair sat under a great oak tree, waiting for the rain to stop, Zelda rested her back against the massive trunk. Link, of course, remained standing. He never seemed to let his guard down, never seemed to rest. The princess noted his eyes were ever moving, scanning the horizon for any potential threats. Some things never changed. Unlike Link, however, Zelda could feel her eyelids beginning to droop. They had been traveling since morning, and now that she finally had control of her body again, Zelda could feel the toll the past century had taken on her physically. Zelda had been fit enough before the Calamity, but now it felt as though she was always out of breath. She had even been more than a competent rider, but the past day of riding since they had left Hyrule Castle had caused a dull ache in her lower back and buttocks. Dismounting from Storm had been an awkward affair of attempting to swing her legs over the saddle, and Link had stared and raised an eyebrow at her.

As she began to doze off, Zelda thought that she saw Link looking at her with his unblinking eyes. Curious. She thought to question him, but couldn't bring herself to raise her voice. Maybe...maybe in a couple minutes. Just a couple minutes…

When Zelda opened her eyes again, the first thing she noticed was silence. The rain had stopped, then. She yawned , taking her time to bring her arms together lazily her head. As Zelda stretched, the princess gazed at the afternoon sun, attempting to ascertain the time of day. She thought for a few seconds; her outdoorsman skills had deteriorated as well. A tap on her left shoulder interrupted her thoughts. Link stood over her, staring at her again.

"Yes?"

"Are you well?"

"Much better now. My body feels weaker than before, for some reason. Perhaps a side effect of the magic I used with…" Zelda's voice trailed off as she noticed his eyes darken in concern. "Although I am still very much able to travel!" she hurriedly blurted out, lest Link force her to stay put for the rest of the day and continue to rest. The hero seemingly had no reaction to her last statement, and only continued to burn a hole into her with his eyes.

"How long was I asleep for?" she queried, attempting to bring Link's mind onto other subjects.

"Maybe an hour and a half." His voice was low, almost whispered, and Zelda had to strain to hear his words.

"And when did the rain stop?" she continued.

"About half an hour ago."

"Well, let's be off then." Zelda sprang to her feet casually. Or, rather, attempted to. Her legs under her wobbled slightly as she got up, and threatened to betray her balance. Link seized her elbow, steadying her. Zelda gaped at his hand. He had never been so forward as to touch her directly of his own accord.

Link continued on as if he were unaware of her sudden shock. "Are you should you should be traveling, Zelda?"

"Link, your concern is admirable, but I'm simply getting used to a physical body again. I'm fine. Really." Zelda stood up as straight as she could to prove her point. She was ready to have to continue arguing when Link surprised her.

"Alright then," he shrugged. He turned his back on her and walked over to where the two horses were grazing. That was odd, Zelda thought. Perhaps his time in the overworld had loosened his once-strict sense of decorum around the princess. Or, maybe Link's century of slumber in the Shrine of Restoration had taken even those memories away from him. Zelda shook her head. Link assured her that he again knew who she was, that he had found brief glimpses into their past together. But still, he had also rather cryptically noted that not everything was right with his head. The Shrine of Resurrection was an ancient Sheikah medical facility, and its technology far surpassed anything Zelda had seen in Hyrule. But even the Shrine had its limits; Zelda and fellow Sheikah researchers had theorized that it was used to restore the physical body of ancient Sheikah warriors. But the mind? The mind was an anomaly, even to the Sheikah that had constructed the Shrine of Resurrection. The only person who could even guess at the effects of such a long slumber was Link, and his talkative side revealed itself about as frequently as a Blood Moon in a lightning storm.

As she remained sitting, deep in grim thoughts about Link's possible mental state, the sound of splashing water roused her out of her trance. Looking up, Zelda saw Link trudging through the dampened grass, leading the horses back towards them. His feet would find the occasional puddle hidden in the fields and splatter flecks of mud across the polished leather of his boots.

An idea began to spring into mind. It was childish to be sure, but perhaps after a century of being enveloped inside of...well, Zelda didn't prefer to dwell on it. Still, maybe with Link's own barriers down a little, she could also loosen up a little. Link walked closer. Zelda scooted around on her knees and patted around her, trying to find a puddle. Using two hands to cup the rainwater, Zelda shivered at the cool touch. Sensations, even those as basic as the touch of water in her hands, were still foreign to her. Link was coming closer, closer...

"Catch!"

Link stared at her again, as water splashed against his green tunic. He tilted his head as if he were baffled by her behavior. She giggled at his response, and threw another handful of water up at him. Zelda was getting her own traveling tunic wet, as droplets of water flew through the air, but she couldn't mind less. Link stood still, seemingly growing more nonplussed by the second. Zelda stood up and kicked the puddle with her foot towards Link. She could feel her wool foot bindings growing damp as more water splashed up all around them.

Looking up, Zelda froze as she noticed Link still hadn't moved from his initial position. The water in her boots suddenly felt so much colder against her skin. Had she annoyed him? Perhaps the hero had seen too much to deal with her childish antics. He still wasn't moving, not saying anything. Zelda stared downwards, burning a hole into her boots. Just before she made up her mind to apologize and squirm over attempting to explain what had even overtaken her sense of propriety, Zelda looked back up and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The corners of Link's mouth had begun to lift, and his eyes crinkled. Was...was he _smiling_? She didn't have time to admire the rare sight, as Link ran forward and threw both of his hands into the water, and lifted them up at Zelda's face. She recoiled, then sputtered as she wiped the water away from her face.

"Why, you-!"

Link laughed. Oh, it had been too long since she had that sound. The worry in her mind came crashing down as the relief that Link wasn't judging her for her juvenile outburst poured in. Zelda couldn't contain her laughter, and kicked the puddle at him again. Link retaliated in kind, jumping into the puddle and stomping around in it. As Zelda ran backwards to avoid the spray, Link followed her and darted towards her. His body was low, and his arms were outstretched like some sort of grotesque green-clad crab.

As Link's shoulder met her knees, Zelda could feel her legs give way underneath her and she began to fall backwards. She gave a surprised cry, but before she could hit the ground, Zelda felt a dull thud. As the princess regained her bearings, she found herself face to face with a rather wide eyed Link. A thousand thoughts shot through her mind in an instant. His eyes were insanely blue. Wet blond hair left streaks across his forehead, leaving small trails of water droplets. How did they end up in this position? He must've rolled his body as they fell so that he landed first. Classic hero. With a start, she realized that the pressure she felt on her torso was from his arms still wrapped around her, though they were now behind her back. Her heart pounded a little faster, and she had to swallow hard to clear the lump in her throat. Feeling the heat burn in her cheeks, Zelda attempted to stand quickly to hide the fact that she was blushing like a schoolgirl. She had thought him reaching out to steady her earlier had been forward!

Link propped himself up on his elbows before standing, and he turned away from her as well. His bashful smile stayed on his face though, as he rubbed the back of his head. Clearing his throat, he suggested, "Maybe we should be off?" She took his invitation gratefully and moved to mount Storm. As he steadied her foot in her stirrup so that she could get both legs around the saddle, Zelda still couldn't believe what had just happened. Heart pounding away in her chest like cannon fire, she was grateful that Link was riding in front of her so that he couldn't make out Zelda's face. She could feel her cheeks still flushed as she thought about being on top of Link, remembering what it had felt like to have his arms tight around her. Even the chill of her now-damp Sheikah tunic couldn't cool her down.

* * *

 _March winds and April showers  
Romance will soon be ours  
An outdoor paradise for two_

 _-"April Showers", ProleteR_

* * *

 _A/N: We back, lol._ _Took me 5 days to get this chapter out once I thought of the idea._ _Repping the most inconsistent update times since college apps. BoTW ZeLink is too cute to not write fics for. The way she's so into him, but then he had that thing with Mipha and was almost going to get married to her but then she ended up dying... Oh man, so many spicy romance points for Link in this game._


	2. Against The Sun

_A star's light shines on long after it dies_

 _In the night_

 _Live everyday as if it's your last_

 _Our memories burn bright like beacons of the past_

* * *

It seemed like this path went on forever, Zelda mused. Her calves ached, and her thighs burned with every step. She paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. The hot afternoon sun that was out today was unforgiving; the very air seemed to shimmer with a wet heat. Just where was she? The fields around her were odd. The landmarks certainly weren't from any Hyrule that she knew. Still, she kept on walking forward, towards the faint green light in the horizon. Towards the light, towards the light. Zelda hummed a lullaby that her mother had taught her as a child.

The odd buzzing sound around her began to grow in intensity. The air in front of her crackled suddenly, and the scent of ozone stung in her nostrils. The light that had seemed so dim on the horizon now grew in intensity, brighter and brighter until she was forced to avert her gaze. She threw up a hand over her eyes.

 _Zelda._

Zelda gasped. That voice belonged to...no, it was impossible. The Champions were dead, fading into the void a century ago. But still! That voice was unmistakable. It had to have been her.

 _Zelda_.

Cracking open her shut eyes, Zelda gaped in awe. Standing in front of her was Mipha. There was a green glow surrounding the Zora, but it was undoubtedly her. From the sky blue wrap around her shoulders and waist, to the tri-crescent bangles adorning her head, it was an exact image of Mipha. Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. Memories crashed like waves over her, and she could feel herself being washed away. The Zora princess...what could she say?

"Mi-Mipha? Why...how?" The words jumbled together. How could this be?

"Zelda." Mipha walked forward. Wisps of that pale light drifted off of her body, like smoke. Her hands removed the cerulean wrap from her body. Zelda couldn't shift her gaze. There was a gaping wound in Mipha's abdomen. The ugly gash was bloody, and there were fragments of shattered scales that haphazardly lined the wound. Zelda saw a flash of pink inside, and with a start realized that might have been what remained of Mipha's intestines. Zelda's heart jumped into her throat.

"Oh, Mipha," Zelda choked out. Goosebumps raised over her body and Zelda felt the skin on the back of her neck crawl. "What...what happened to you?"

"You. You did this to me." Mipha's hard eyed gaze stunned Zelda. This wasn't the timid, soft-spoken Zora champion that she had known. What was going on?

"You let me die. You let us all die."

"Mipha, no! you were there! You know I tried as much as I could. I-"

"You were worthless. You let me die," Mipha shot at her. "You let _Link_ die. You took him away from me."

Zelda couldn't believe her ears. This wasn't right. Mipha would never speak like this. She had known that the Zora Champion and Link had shared a tighter bond than the other Champions. Link, prior to the Calamity, had divulged much about his childhood. He had shared about growing up in Zora's Domain, as his father had been stationed there as an act of goodwill from Hyrule. Of Mipha's constant companionship, of her affections. Even what he did not say still spoke volumes. The Champions had all been aware of Mipha's coming of age. With her travels around Hyrule with the others, however, Mipha had not been able to court another Zora. There was only one other reasonable suitor for her, and he just so happened to be right there alongside them.

"No! I...I did everything I could to keep Link safe.

"I loved him, Zelda. Now I'll never see him again. Because of your failure."

Mipha's words cut through her. The past century had been rough enough on the princess. Her hopes of Link awakening once again had barely sustained her through her sealing of Calamity Ganon. She devoted every ounce of her mind to keeping the beast bound, unable to even think about her loss. But now, forced to confront a physical manifestation of her incompetence, everything she had held back all those years began to bubble up again.

"You failed me."

Zelda spun around behind her, towards the sound of a new voice. The mist gathered again, swirling into form. When it settled, Zelda gazed at Urbosa, almost exactly as she had remembered. But this Urbosa bled from a thousand cuts over her entire body, and her firey red hair had been blackened. What...what had happened?

"Not you too," Zelda whispered.

Urbosa stared at her. "You were supposed to be the daughter of Hyrule's ruling family. Where was your power in the time where it was needed? You child." She spat the last words, contempt heavy on her lips. The words, from someone Zelda considered to be almost an older sister, shot through her, deeper than any arrow could. The world seemed to be spinning around Zelda. This can't be happening, she cried to herself. This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening!

Zelda wasn't surprised when she saw Daruk and Revali appear out thin air as well, their familiar forms silhouetted by the same green mist. Could things get any worse?

"My people...what has become of my people?" Daruk's voice boomed. The mighty Goron warrior had a cleft through his chest. Zelda knew of the strength of the mountain race. She shuddered to think of what could have inflicted such a savage blow on even the most hardy of Gorons. "Have you seen them? Have you even considered their torment? What has become of my people?" Daruk's voice took on a pained tone at the end. He was right, of course; Zelda hadn't even considered how the other races might have suffered during the forgotten century. How could she have been so selfish?

Were those tears rolling down her cheeks now? The world seemed to tilt around her, and Zelda thought she could feel the very earth beneath seeming to quake. Revali stared at her. Zelda forced herself to look at him. His once proud body had been shattered, wings and legs stuck at odd angles.

He chuckled. "Crying already? You really are pathetic. Not that I expected much from a failure anyways."

Zelda collapsed to the ground. She couldn't take this. It wasn't my fault, Zelda wanted to scream over and over. She wanted them to know that she had done her best, that she would have been willing to die for them. That she was sorry she couldn't have saved them. That she couldn't have awakened her sealing powers until it was too late. She was sorry that they had all died for her.

The churning earth beneath her began to crumble. Zelda felt the ground give way in pieces, like flat panes of glass shattering. The whispers of the champions rang in her ears as she began to fall through the soil: "We trusted you."

She fell rapidly, and Zelda felt as if a weight had been attached to her body. She kept falling for what felt like an eternity. As she tumbled downwards, everything around her was dark, although she occasionally glimpsed a flash of red or black. Reaching out with a hand, she attempted to grasp the slivers of color. Her fingers had barely closed around the strand of light, when suddenly images of a different time filled her vision.

 _The scent of blood permeated every inch of the field. Hate surged within the beast, and it roared helplessly at the hero that stood before it. Its grotesque horns rose like spires from where it lay on the ground, and its eyes glowed from the sheer force of malice that emanated from the being_. _The only thought that existed in its twisted brain_ _was a sense of pure hatred._

She was whipped through to another scene, struggling to make sense of it all. What had it meant? Had that been a past Link? Another hero lost to time?

 _There was a small imp-like creature atop an odd steed. Was that a wolf? The animal dodged about the room swiftly, snapping at the massive beast. Ganon roared in anger and pain, and swiped with a heavy paw in front of him._

Zelda couldn't stop the visions, though the scenes frightened her. Gasping, she attempted to let go of the shard...

 _A boy who was garbed in green like Link lay on the ground, impaled through the chest by an impossibly large sword. Why was there so much blood? There was a princess standing by him, screaming. A shattered hero. Victory, at long last._

Heaving, Zelda let go of the tendril with a start. What...what had she seen? Where was she? A faint pulse. _Da-dum_. The sound of a beating heart. _Da-dum_. No. No, she couldn't be where she thought she was. The flashes of color around her began to coalesce into solid veins of shining red amidst an inky blackness. Malice. She struggled to move, to kick, anything but the darkness around her acted like a binding. How was she back in Ganon's cocoon? She needed to seal him, keep him trapped until Link could come. Sealing power. Sealing power. Focus. Zelda thought of Link, and began to breathe. He would come. She knew he would. And until the hero did, she would keep Ganon locked in here with her. But something was wrong. Her hand had no glow. There was no Ancient Symbol, no flash of light and power surging through her body, no image of Link. Only darkness, and the sheer hate that emanated from the Malice surrounding her.

She could feel the darkness clawing at her. Panic began to settle in. There was no power of the goddess here, nothing to keep Ganon sealed. What was happening? Flashes began to play again in her head, visions of past heroes and princesses brought to their knees by Ganon. He was toying with her, Zelda realized, attempting to break her resolve. She had been able to dispel the Malice from her body previously, using her sealing powers to act as a barrier from Ganon's essence. But now, she was helpless. Coils of Malice began to latch onto her body, and Zelda struggled for breath as what felt like ice began to pour into her body.

 _Sleep._ Zelda recoiled at the awful voice. It was heavy and low, but she still heard it clear as anything. It trembled with raw strength, and power. Her body began to shiver. Why was she back here? Please, please, please. She had been through it once already. Link, please. Link. LINK!

 _There is no leaving this grave for two_.

Zelda awoke with a start, her body jerking upright. She was sweating so profusely, her shirt was soaked through in blotches. Her heart pounded in her chest like a bass drum. What? Her gaze snapped left and right, attempting to make sense of what she was seeing. The orange hues cast about her were the glowing embers of a fire. The smoldering coals winked and danced as Link poked them with a stick. The two horses were laying down on the grass beside them. Epona's tail twitched for a brief second. She was with Link. They were traveling. They had sealed Ganon away. Her fight was over. That realization surged through her, and assuaged her nightmare induced fears.

He looked at her, startled. "Bad dream?"

She didn't respond, instead dragging her bedroll over to where he was sitting by the fire. Link's legs were tucked in by his body, and his cheek was resting in the palm of an open hand. He continued stirring the glowing coals with the other. Dropping the bedroll by him, Zelda patted his knees until he laid them down flat. Link gave her another one of his looks, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Laying her head down in his lap, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him tight. She could still feel Ganon's presence, still remembered how twisted and dark and full of hatred that _thing_ had been. Zelda shivered.

Link didn't say anything. After a slight pause, no doubt deliberating between protocol and responsibilities as a friend, Link laid a hand on her brow. Rubbing circles around her neck with his thumb, he hummed the lullaby that she had taught him during their travels together.

Zelda's lower lip wavered, and unbidden tears began to spill from her eyes. The images of each champion, slain because of her, shook her to the core. Even if it had simply been a bad dream, she knew their accusations were not unfounded. She was at blame for their deaths; the princess was supposed to have been the one to lead the Champions, to have been their vanguard. In the end, the only thing Zelda had managed to be was a liability, to the point that Link had even died on the battlefield to protect her. And now here she was, a blubbering mess of tears, crying in his lap over a bad dream.

"Link," she whispered. She didn't trust her voice enough to not crack in her current state.

He looked down at her.

"I saw them again…I saw them all again. And they were all dead. And they-they-" Zelda's words tumbled from her lips until she found the burning in her throat too much to continue. Tears continued to stream down her face, and she could no longer stifle her sobs. "They blamed me, Link! It's my fault that they're dead and gone." She took a deep breath, shuddering. "I could have saved them. I could have saved Mipha, and Urbosa, and Daruk, Revali. I could have-" Her voice betrayed her in that moment, and she found herself unable to speak.

His eyes shone in the flickering light of the embers. His pupils, normally the lightest shade of blue, glinted like obsidian in the night sky. Zelda watched as a bead of moisture gathered in the corner of his left eye. Slowly, a tear began to trickle down his cheek. The single droplet caught and reflected the light, painting a shining streak down the hero's face.

"I miss them too," he murmured to her. "Urbosa, Daruk, even Revali." He paused. "And Mipha." The sense of longing was so obviously etched on his normally inscrutable face, it served to aggravate Zelda's weeping, and the heaves that wracked her body came faster and faster. He patted her back. "Urbosa said something I think you should hear."

Zelda sniffled. "Urbosa?"

"She...she was there after I freed her Divine Beast from Ganon. They were all there. She told me that you need not carry the blame for what happened to the Champions. She said she was proud of you." Link's voice wavered, and Zelda noticed that he swallowed before he continued. "She forgave you, Zelda. They all did."

"How could they have?" she exclaimed. They're dead because of me, Link." Zelda didn't want to believe it. It was her fault. No matter what the Champions said, no matter how they might have tried to ease her pain, nothing would change the fact that she had been unable to seal Ganon in their most dire time of need.

"Zelda. Listen to me." Link's hands cradled her head in his lap, and he looked straight down at her. "The Champions are dead because of Ganon. You did what was necessary, and you sealed the beast for an entire century. You were willing to lay your life down to save as much of Hyrule as you could."

"But-"

"Zelda." His voice was firm, and his tone made it clear he would brook no argument on the matter. She pressed her face deeper into his stomach as if to hide away from the world. He resumed rubbing her neck gently. She knew she should have been awed, thankful even, that Urbosa had cared so deeply about her that she would attempt to soothe Zelda's torment a century later. But despite his words, Zelda was too shaken to find relief in them.

Link bent down and lifted her head slightly, kissing her lightly on her brow.

"Rest."

Zelda was incredulous. Her nightmare had awoken something inside of her, something dark that she thought she had stuffed deep down and locked away. Now even Link _kissing_ her was unable to shake her out of her fugue. This wasn't how she had expected this to go. This wasn't how she had expected any of this to go. Pressing against Link's body, thoughts of the Champions and of Ganon whirled inside the princess' mind. Hours would pass until Zelda finally passed mercifully into a dreamless sleep as the dawning sun began to peek out over the mountains. As her consciousness faded, she thought she heard the voices of the Champions' once again: _We trusted you._

* * *

 _Now we race against the sun_

 _Now we race against the sun_

 _-"Against The Sun", Rootkit_

* * *

 _A/N: Alright, holdup. Lemme just say that_ _I actually love how dark Nintendo is going now. No more Kidz-Bop Zelda. But still._ _Can we all take a second here to realize that Link and Zelda are literally like 17 year olds. Take a pair of teenagers, then kill everyone they've ever loved in horrible, awful ways, including their parents. Then Link literally goes through death, and one be sealed with an ancient evil demon king who literally embodies evil for an entire century. Like, this is the perfect recipe for PTSD and some seriously messed up teenagers. Especially since few others can really understand how they feel. Like damn, that's awful man. DID NO ONE ACTUALLY STOP TO CONSIDER HOW FUCKED UP THAT IS?_


	3. Gasoline

_Are you deranged like me?_

 _Are you strange like me?_

 _Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?_

 _Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?_

 _Pointing fingers 'cause you'll never take the blame like me?_

* * *

"I remember my father talking to me about what I was supposed to expect. You know, I didn't actually know what they ate. I had never met a Zora before."

Zelda laughed in disbelief. "What did you imagine they would eat, then?"

Link shook his head, smiling at the ground sheepishly. "My father had only told me that they resembled large fish, and to not point at them. Maybe I thought they ate giant fish flakes or something of the sort?"

Zelda laughed again.

They had spent the morning after her nightmare normally, both attempting to skirt around the topic. When Zelda awoke, Link was already preparing a light traveling breakfast. Zelda had paused as the images in her dream came flooding back into her mind. Daruk, Urbosa, Revali, Mipha. Ganon. Shrugging the bedroll off of her body, Zelda felt her eyes with tender fingers. They felt swollen. Some princess she was, crying over a bad dream like a disturbed child and then going and crying in his lap. He looked up from the pan and smiled briefly, then went back to stirring whatever he was making. She didn't want to even imagine what she looked like to Link.

After they had eaten, they had packed their saddle bags and been off. According to Link, they weren't too far off from Zora's Domain now. As they rode along on horseback, Link had begun to make small conversation. He commented on the fortunately sunny weather, the Silent Princesses that now dotted the hills with a brilliant blue. Zelda had been taken aback at first, but as he continued, realized that he was attempting to reach out to her in anyway he knew possible. As she willingly followed him into their conversation, thoughts of the Champions began to leave her mind. There was only the rocky path before them, Link, and a beautiful spring day.

The tall redwoods around them provided enough shade to keep them cool as they continued traveling through the day. Zelda idly noted that the trees were more numerous the farther they traveled; it was almost as if an entire forest had been uprooted and planted along their path. Beginning as a faint hum, the sound soon resolved into the roar of a rushing river. Zora's River stretched out in front of them, a massive azure vein carved out of the mountain side. It was visible even to the horizon, where the grand river appeared no more than a faint ribbon in the distance.

Zelda could feel the moisture on her face as the air carried the river mist in its current, sending a slight chill down her spine. She cast a glance at Link, who was content to sit in a comfortable silence as they came to a lull in their conversation. His horse, who Link had proudly informed her was "special", although he had failed to elaborate further, ambled at an easier pace than before. Zelda actually had sensation in her legs again.

"I came through here the last time I traveled to Zora's Domain." Link pointed at a small clearing amidst the trees.

Looking over to where he pointed, Zelda noted the wooden platforms dotting the higher rocks around them. As they rode closer, she could make out the poor craftsmanship present; several slats seemed to be shoddily tacked on, the boards were uneven, and several scorch marks were present. "Were those the Bokoblins'...?"

The corners of Link's mouth turned up slightly. "They used to be," he said, and left it at that.

The small brook besides them gurgled happily. The water reminded Zelda of Lake Hylia. Lake Hylia. She remembered that Mipha had loved it there. An image flashed through her mind of the Zora, laughing as she leaped in and out of the crystal waters.

Zelda thought about it. When had that been? A year before the Calamity. The other Champions had set up camp along the shoreline, but Mipha had stared at the water with a poorly concealed yearning.

"Looks like a nice place to go for a swim," Urbosa said, eying the Zora.

"What?" Mipha turned to face her.

"Looks like you're dying to jump in, kid," Urbosa chuckled.

The white skin on Mipha's headtail flushed with color. "I haven't been in the water for a while…"

"Well, we're staying here for the night anyways. You might as well go for it." The Gerudo smiled at her.

Mipha's hands trembled with anticipation as she undid her wrap. No sooner had she removed her garment than she had jumped headfirst into the lake. Zelda remembered Link sitting down on the shore, eyes fixed on the Zora. She pirouetted as she leaped out of the water, giggling with an unsuppressed childlike glee. Zelda felt a small pang as the Zora continued her aquatic acrobatics. Ballroom etiquette had always been a bore for the princess, and her tutor had criticized her movement as stiff and unbecoming for a proper lady. Zelda watched Mipha's graceful movements, and noted Link's rapt attention as he continued staring. She sighed; these lovebirds were always so obvious.

"You seem awfully quiet," said Link.

Zelda snapped back to the present. "I'm...thinking about something. The river reminded me of it."

"Rupee for your thoughts?" he asked.

Zelda paused. She wasn't sure if bringing up Mipha again was a good idea. Link's tears the previous night burned bright in her memory. Hesitantly, words tumbled out of her mouth. "The Champions had made camp next to Lake Hylia, and I was just...remembering it."

"That's all?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"And...Mipha."

Link bit his lip, and paused. The teasing attitude he had just had seemed to evaporate as his shoulders dropped. Zelda instantly felt her stomach drop, and wished she could've bit back those words. The sudden change was jarring. The clopping of the horses hooves against the path seemed so much louder in the silence. There was a stabbing sensation as he whispered, "Tell me about her."

"Link, I don't know if that's a good idea right no-"

He swallowed. "Please."

"Link," she pleaded. Zelda didn't want to do this right now. How could she recount her memories of the Champions when the Calamity had barely ended? When she was now afraid to fall asleep lest the ghosts of the Champions haunt her dreams?

"I barely remember her," Link cried out.

"What?"

"I can barely remember her, Zelda." Link reined Epona in and turned to face her.

Zelda was incredulous, and the look on her face must have shown it.

"I can see things from my past, but only faint memories. They're all so random. I can see her face, and small glimpses. Flashes of her talking, healing me. But I don't even know who she was to me."

Had the Shrine of Resurrection failed this spectacularly? Just how much of Link was gone? Zelda gaped at him.

"Oh, Link…" She could feel her throat burning as tears began to spring to her eyes.

"King Dorephan and Sidon gave me her wedding armor. She...they said that she was going to give it to me before the Calamity occurred." Link closed his eyes. His body swayed in the saddle as his white-knuckled fists clenched the reins. "She was going to marry me, Zelda. I was going to marry her, and the one actual memory I have of her is that she was healing me once," he choked out. Link's eyes opened, now tinged with red veins.

"So please...tell me about her."

"What-what do you want to know about her?" Zelda couldn't believe it. These two had grown up alongside each other from childhood until they were called into service as Champions. Even then, the Champions had still traveled fairly commonly together, escorting Zelda across Hyrule. All that time together...all those memories. Were they locked away, tucked in the deepest recesses of of his mind? Or, the dark idea sprang into Zelda's thoughts, had all of those memories just vanished inside of the Shrine of Resurrection?

Link stared at her for a long while, cheeks taut. Finally, he asked her: "What were we like as children?"

* * *

 _And all the people say_

 _You can't wake up, this is not a dream_

 _You're part of a machine, you are not a human being_

 _With your face all made up, living on a screen_

 _Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline_

 _-"Gasoline", Halsey_

* * *

 _A/N: sorry this took so long to write lol. couldn't think of a way to make everything come together; i had a bunch of scattered ideas i could use but didn't know how to combine it all. partially why this is such a short chapter. i spent days just writing and deleting portions of it. and if yall think about it for a second, can we pause the ZeLink shipping real fast? BoTW has Mipha as this perfectly set up girl for Link; they spent their childhoods together, the King and Sidon both recognize him which means he spent a lot of time there too. and she was going to propose to him! i doubt he like didn't reciprocate at all. so he was just good friends with Zelda all along? but then now Mipha's dead so i mean ZeLink can happen. but there's no way there's no teenage angst in there at all. i mean theyre high schoolers. cmon. delicious angst. mmm._


	4. Good Things Fall Apart

_Did I say something wrong?_

 _Did you hear what I was thinking?_

 _Did I talk way too long when I told you all my feelings that night?_

 _Tell me what you hate about me_

 _Whatever it is, I'm sorry_

* * *

The travelers trudged north.

Every night as the two made their way to Zora's Domain, Zelda would drag her sleeping roll next Link's as he poked at the embers of their campfire. As they sat against the trunks of ancient, gnarled trees, he would ask for a story to be told for every wisp of a memory he could grasp. In turn, she would whisper tales of a shared life from an impossible lifetime ago. And as they would sit with silver stars twinkling in the sky, he would soak in the oasis that was their conversations.

Zelda gasped in disbelief. "I can't believe it. Little Sidon?" The tiny prince had barely come up to her hip when she had last visited Zora's Domain. He had been a fingerling, with a beaming rapscallious grin despite his size.

Link chuckled at her flabbergasted reaction. "I wouldn't call him that to his face anymore. You would be surprised how much someone can grow in a hundred years."

A hundred years...

Staring up at the moon, the sound of Zora's River's rushing waters shifted her mind to Mipha, and her graceful figure as she turned and traced high, delicate arcs above the water. Of Urbosa and her wild, fiery hair and booming laugh. Of strong and fearless Daruk, and to her surprise, even sour-faced, pompous Revali. She felt a twinge, and shook her head.

 _Mipha_.

Zelda still found herself uneasy speaking to Link about the Zora princess. For the first nights they had spent after his outburst, as she leaned against his chest, he would rest his hands on her head lightly, almost as if he was unsure of himself. She wasn't too surprised; as Zelda had tried to sate his curiosity of their past life, his mind seemed to grow heavier and heavier with the idea of a woman who had once fallen in love with him. Perhaps almost married him. Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel a pit in her stomach whenever she saw his face when Mipha was mentioned. He seemed distant, pulling away from Zelda and into his own mind. After a few days, however, he had apparently worked up enough courage to run his fingers through her hair idly as they alternated between telling stories and sitting in silence. Even as Zelda would drift away into her dreams, wrapped in a tight bundle of deerskin blankets, she could feel Link's fingers send shivers from her scalp down her spine.

* * *

When she woke, the night air was frigid. Zelda watched as her breath billowed out like a cloud. She pawed at her heavy eyes and swallowed her grogginess down. Something patted her between her shoulder blades, and she looked up to find her body leaned on Link's.

"Morning." His voice was low, almost a whisper. The embers had burned out, but moonlight shone brightly enough that she could still make out his face.

"How long did I rest for?" Zelda tried to match his hushed tone, but her voice instead came out strained and gravelly. She coughed twice. Link's arm started to pat her again.

"A few hours. You slept well," he said. His head tilted down towards her, and Zelda thought she saw a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips.

"You should sleep too, Link. Before dawn breaks, and we should move again," she breathed. "I'll take watch." This time, her voice was clear. Link nodded slowly in response, pulling his blankets up past his shoulders. Not even an argument this time, Zelda thought. He must have been tired. Suddenly, his head was leaned on her shoulder, sandy hair tickling her cheek and neck. The princess planted her hands behind her, sitting up straighter so Link wouldn't wake up with kinks in his neck. Had he gotten taller in the century between their lifetimes? She hadn't recalled him quite this tall. But then again, neither had she spent time with him so familiarly during their past lives.

She sang, softly at first. It was a lullaby, a tune her mother had once sang to Zelda when she had been a young girl. Many of the words had slipped from her memory, but she hummed over the portions she couldn't recall. Link stirred briefly, and she patted his hair softly until he seemed deep in sleep again. She smiled. Perhaps this could have played out in their old lives. Before she had been forced to dedicate herself towards awakening her dormant sealing power, before the Calamity, before Ganon. Zelda shivered, but steeled herself. Link was here, with her. He was in her arms. A thousand thoughts flooded her consciousness and she found herself breathing heavily.

Zelda sat for a long time by herself. Every now and then, she would readjust her body so that Link could rest more easily on her shoulder. Staring out at the cold night, she noticed how the wind gurgled, low and soft. It flowed through the river bank, curling gently along the tall, slender trunks of willow and ash and berry bushes that sprouted in clumps. Closing her eyes, she could hear the leaves above whispering to the mice scampering about, to the herons nesting in boughs high above. As the breeze reached the clearing, heavy with the scent of decaying wood and damp earth, it was thick like maple sap.

It reminded her of their younger days, spent out on the traveler's road. Of the champions, strong in their unity. Of Mipha.

Zelda didn't sleep anymore that night.

* * *

 _I'm coming to terms with a broken heart_

 _I guess that sometimes good things fall apart_

 _-"Good Things Fall Apart", Illenium, Jon Bellion_

* * *

A/N: Wow, it's been a HOT minute hasn't it? Well, I started this story right before I started college. Pre-med hasn't been very kind to me and I'm getting my ass kicked by classes. I honestly have had a few chapter ideas lined up, but never really found the time or inspiration to write. That is, until a reviewer called this story dead and said I ruined the romance. All I've ever wanted was sad sappy fluffy romance shit and god damn if I didn't take that as a personal challenge. This one's for you buddy. Hopefully I can get another chapter out before 2021 lol. Thanks for reading and following everyone. Sorry this one's so short.


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